New Child Support Legislation--Its Potential Impact and How To Improve It

Over seven million children who have an absent parent receive assistance under the aid to families with dependent children program. Many of these children could benefit from an effective child support program. In the past, however, the program has generally not been actively carried out by all States and has not been adequately monitored or administered by HEW. Thus the States and the Federal Government have spent many millions of dollars on assistance for these children which would not have been spent if child support payments had been obtained from absent parents. The potential for new or increased child support payments is the basis for this examination.